The Away Mission Blog

I love "Firefly". The short lived Fox series about a mercenary crew traveling through space who aimed to misbehave had one of the best ensemble casts ever. Although it has been off the air for ten years and its follow-up movie "Serenity" graced the theater screens eight years ago, the fans, (many who call themselves Browncoats), keep growing in number. Even though most of the actors have regular acting gigs throughout the year, they still attend conventions when they can and their presence always draws a crowd from all over the world. Continue reading →

In the Winter of 1997, I was a newlywed, the thoughts of having children rarely crossed my mind. When I was not working, I spent my hours either playing "Heroes of Might and Magic" or watching, discussing, or writing about the shows on television. After all, it was the "Golden Age" of Star Trek, having not one, not two, but three series running at the same time, two in syndication ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"), and the other on the newly created UPN Network, ("Star Trek: Voyager"). I was also fascinated with two syndicated shows that ran back to back on Saturday night: "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and it's spin-off "Xena: Warrior Princess", which starred Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor as two friends who battled ancient gods, warlords and kings. Of the two shows, "Xena" captivated me the most. I loved the bond between the two female leads and some of the stories were much darker and dramatic than "Hercules". Continue reading →

I was excited to hear that Away Mission was returning so soon, and even more excited to try and guess what high-profile guests will be coming. I'm going to throw out several guesses, based on no facts whatsoever, except for my usual wish to look clever.

One of the main characters from the new Star Trek reboot movies. Perhaps ...someone from the original series, even though the choices are becoming more limited every year, sigh.

Decades before “The Hunger Games”, on an asteroid far from Earth, two Captains were transported against their will and forced to have a fight to the death. One, a ruggedly handsome Earthling by the name of James T. Kirk, the other, a green–skinned Gorn Captain, with about as much speed and dexterity as a zombie from “The Walking Dead”, who both had to use their ingenuity and brute strength to determine a victor when their ships invaded Metron space.

Do you want to kill me or kiss me?

Over the years, the classic Star Trek series episode “Arena”, which originally aired on January 19, 1967, and was the 19th episode of the first season, has stayed in the imaginations of those who have seen it. It was the first time in the series that Captain Kirk used his fighting skills in hand to hand combat against a humanoid nearly twice his size and with magnificent strength. It is considered by many to be one of the best episodes of the series, making many Top Ten lists.

Has Kirk met his match?

The infamous fight scene between Kirk and The Gorn Captain which may seem laughable by today’s high-tech standards has invaded pop culture and has been recreated in television series like “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy”. “Mythbusters” did an episode of their series to recreate the bomb Kirk makes using sulfur, potassium nitrate and coal. “The Big Bang Theory” centered an episode around Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in California, where the fight scenes for “Arena” were filmed. Sheldon Cooper even had nightmares about the Gorn. Then in April 2013, 46 years after their first encounter, William Shatner and The Gorn Captain reunited for a rematch in a commercial to promote “Star Trek: The Game”.

Quit hogging the controller!

Although only seen once on-screen in the original series, The Gorn Captain has become one of the most recognizable aliens in the Star Trek Universe. His reptilian mug can be found on many t-shirts, trading cards, and action figures. Not too shabby for a fellow in a green rubber suit.

The Away Mission now carries several new products including several t-shirts featuring the classic episode "Arena" as well as the Gorn Captain himself. Click this link to check them out!

Mike Mitchell just announced an upcoming show at G1988 (West) that he’ll be curating. The show will celebrate the past, present and future of space exploration and the awesomeness that is the universe. Continue reading →

One of my favorite sites on the web Geek Art is hosting an artshow tribute to Star Trekcalled “Final Frontier“. The exhibit will run from June 3rd until June 30th and they have amassed a stellar line up of talent.

There is nothing I love more than someone who is confident in their own skin that likes to enjoy themselves. Aside from having one of the best voices EVER, Sir Patrick Stewart embraces life and his work with vigor and humor. His portfolio of film, theater, television and voice work is beyond impressive and just when I thought I couldn't like him anymore without it getting awkward, I recently had to check myself. Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Trivial Matters on June 23, 2013 by Away Mission Ninja Monkey.

Star Trek, Dr Who, Kill Bill, The Wizard of Oz, Dr. Strangelove, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Planet of the Apes are some of the most recognized and beloved pop culture movies of all time. But what if… you were in a spaceship…and you crash landed on a bizarre world in the distant future? What if this planet was extremely similar to ours with one glaring exception…simians were the dominant species? Ok, so that MAY sound slightly familiar but artist Chet Phillips has taken the concept to a whole new level. Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Trivial Matters on June 22, 2013 by Away Mission Ninja Monkey.

I had the opportunity to speak to many of you who stopped by our booth a few weeks ago at Megacon and filled you in on some details about Away Mission 2013. We thought we should take a moment and touch base with the rest of our loyal supporters regarding the future of Away Mission. Continue reading →